Beautiful
by Egon-Starcollector
Summary: Nearly twenty years after the War of the Ring, an ailing Frodo Baggins embarks on a May/December romance. *finished*
1. Default Chapter

Beautiful  
  
--by Egon Starcollector  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything connected to Middle Earth...although I'm renting parts of it at a very reasonable rate. *winks*  
  
Author's Note: I never intended to write a LOTR fanfiction. Then, one night last week, this entire story came to me in a dream. A DREAM, for crying out loud! It wouldn't leave me alone, so I started writing. *shrug* This isn't a Mary-Sue, so don't think it; I can't write those if I want to be able to look in the mirror--even though I admit to a crush on Elijah Wood's version of Frodo (fortunately, my boyfriend knows I prefer brainy George Clooney lookalikes).  
  
This fic is humbly dedicated to Elijah Wood, who has made "pervy hobbit fanciers" of us all.  
  
  
  
~*~*~ Prologue ~*~*~  
  
Her name was Bella, a human word for beautiful. She was indeed a lovely child, even under the dirt of countless days. When Posco Hardbottle first saw the girl he would call his daughter, she was sitting in a ditch with tears streaming down her little face. Tears of hunger, no doubt, for he saw that she was so thin and weak that she could barely dig for worms to eat.  
  
*A human child,* he thought. *Can't be more than five. I wonder what she's doing here?* He approached her cautiously. "Hi sweetie...I'm Posco. What's your name?"  
  
"Bella."  
  
"That's a pretty name. Bella what?" She shrugged. He tried a different approach. "What are you doing in the ditch? Aren't your mommy and daddy looking for you?"  
  
"Daddy's gone. Mommy went to sleep and didn't wake up...she smells funny. And I'm hungry!" she wailed.  
  
Never again was the child heard to utter those words. Posco and his wife Daisy adopted her, naming her Bella Hardbottle. She was the joy of their lives, for she was as sweet and good as she was pretty.  
  
She grew to young womanhood all too soon. By her eighteenth summer, she had reached a height of nearly five feet and towered over her adopted family. But she loved them, and they her. Nevertheless, she decided that year that it was time to make her own way in the Shire. She hired on at the house called Bag End, home of Frodo Baggins and his longtime friends Sam and Rose Gamgee. They needed someone to help with the housework now that Sam and Rosie's children were grown, and Rose decided that Bella was just the girl they needed.  
  
And that was how it began.... 


	2. Meetings

Beautiful  
  
--by Egon Starcollector  
  
Disclaimer: see prologue.  
  
"Mister Frodo, come meet the new housekeeper!" Rose Gamgee's voice rang clearly through the hobbit-hole named Bag End. Her youngest child had recently left home to marry, so she, her husband Samwise, and their dear friend Frodo Baggins had advertised for a housekeeper. None of them were getting any younger, and with Mister Frodo being ill and all.... Well, it just seemed like a sensible thing to do.  
  
"Coming, Rosie!"  
  
Bella Hardbottle swallowed hard. All her life she had heard tales of the brave and mighty Frodo Baggins. Now she was working for him--and in a moment, she would actually be looking at his face! It just seemed too much to bear!  
  
` "So this is the young lady?" Bella turned at the sound of his voice. "Pleased to meet you; I'm Frodo Baggins."  
  
He was older than she was by some years, and smaller by over a foot...but Bella knew of no men other than hobbits, and she thought she had never seen a more handsome being than Frodo Baggins. She'd heard tales of him, of course...she knew he was in his early fifties, but would never have known it to look at him. His curly dark hair had only a light dusting of gray. His face had few lines. His body and features still seemed slim and youthful...but his eyes. His incredible eyes. Large, and bluer than deep water. They held a constant twinkle, but also seemed to carry a sadness too deep for tears. They were at once both innocent and wise...and completely captivating. Bella would have given her heart's blood for the sake of those eyes.  
  
"B-bella Hardbottle, sir." The girl licked her lips nervously. "It is an honor to meet you, sir."  
  
She was not even half his age...the human fosterling of the Hardbottle family. Frodo had heard that her name meant "beautiful" in some human tongue, and it certainly fit her. She had healthy, ruddy skin; fine features; silver-blonde hair that she wore in a long braid down her back; delicate blue eyes; a form like a ripe pear...wait, what was he thinking? She was little more than a child, a child! He should be acting like a father, or at least an uncle--but his heart was pounding at a rate he'd forgotten it was capable of.  
  
"Well, now that we're all introduced, why don't we go have some tea?" Rose interrupted brightly. "I've just made jam cakes, and we can't have them going stale!"  
  
"After you," Frodo said gallantly to Bella. Behind them, Rosie and Sam exchanged pensive looks. They had seen the faint blush in the girl's cheeks and the glow in Frodo's eyes...Sam hadn't seen his master look at a woman that way in many years.  
  
"This could be trouble," Sam said.  
  
"Oh, don't be such a fuddy-duddy! Mister Frodo is a good man, but his life has been so hard...maybe that sweet girl is just what he needs."  
  
"But they just met! Rosie...." Sam shook his head. He had a feeling his life was going to get very interesting.... 


	3. Comfort

Beautiful  
  
--by Egon Starcollector  
  
Disclaimer: if you've made it this far, I hope you've read it. :)  
  
Author's note: Okay, apparently I've botched Frodo's age in this one. My apologies; I'm not terribly good at math. Call it movie-verse if you must (*grin*); in my defense, I must say that a thirty-three year age difference is pushing my psychological limits. If he were fifty years older than Bella, I'd be gagging too much to write the story! But, this is fanfiction, after all, so bear with me. :)  
  
  
  
A month had passed since Bella Hardbottle had come to work at Bag End. That month had been one of the longest of Frodo Baggins' life. It wasn't that the girl was stupid, or lazy, or any of the hundred things that would make a bad housekeeper. She was competent and sensible, rather than brilliant; she was a hard worker; and as a rule, she was quite a joy to have around. She laughed little, it was true--but then, Frodo knew he no longer laughed as much as he once did.  
  
She accepted that he was not so cheerful and boisterous as the other hobbits, and she did not ask why. She had heard enough stories; she seemed to understand. While her relations with the Gamgees were warm and chatty-- they had taken to her right quickly--between Frodo and the girl there was a quiet companionship, almost as if they had known each other for many lifetimes and no longer needed to speak. Sometimes, indeed, they didn't; when Frodo wanted a cup of tea, he had only to raise his cup with a questioning glance for her to put down whatever she was doing, smile, and rush to fill the cup with his favorite brew. She always checked to see if he was comfortable or needed anything, then favored him again with her pretty smile before rushing back to her work.  
  
It was that comfort level that concerned him. No...it was his reaction to it. He couldn't help the sweet ease that washed over him when she was near; it came unbidden, and he soon wished it was there always. Or was it...that he wished she were there always?  
  
He was infatuated with her; he'd realized that after a fortnight of watching her from the corner of his eye while she swept the floor. 'Well, I'm starting to dodder already,' he thought. 'Fifty-one years old and sighing after a slip of a girl. Pity I've come to this so soon.' And yet...strange though it seemed, his infatuation with Bella seemed to strengthen him. He felt livelier than he had in some time. He attacked his manuscript with vengeance now, and he had returned to his youthful habit of taking long walks through the hills on afternoons when the sun poured down thick and golden as honey. Perhaps, he reflected, doddering had its benefits.  
  
One day, he decided to see if she would accept a closer step in their companionship. Just a small one....  
  
"Mister Frodo...."  
  
"Why so formal? My name is Frodo, after all; my parents didn't tack 'Mister' onto the beginning of it." His eyes twinkled merrily as he spoke; goodness, that made her weak in the knees. Mustn't let it show....  
  
"Well...Mister and Mistress Gamgee always call you Mister Frodo...."  
  
He rolled his eyes dramatically. "I've asked them to stop. They don't. Old habits die hard, I guess...so that's one habit I'd rather not have you form." He shook his finger at her as if he were scolding a child, but he looked as though he were about to burst out laughing.  
  
"Well all right...Frodo, then." Oh no...she hoped she wasn't blushing.  
  
"Much better. Now, did you need something?"  
  
"Oh, um...Mistress Rose wanted to know if you were ever coming for supper."  
  
"Oh! I was so busy writing that I completely lost track of the hour. I wondered why I was hungry...tell her I'll be right there." As she left, Frodo looked at his desk. The stack of parchment was mostly...empty. To tell the truth, he'd been too busy daydreaming about Bella to do any writing. 'She's a wonderful worker, but that girl is doing horrid things to my concentration.'  
  
Nevertheless, he smiled. She would call him Frodo. Nevermore would he have to hear the dreaded title of "Mister" that put a world and more between them. So much better....  
  
Frodo's heart was not the only troubled one at Bag End. Bella had long admired him from the stories told around the hearth in the Hardbottle home. At first, she'd dismissed the fluttering in her chest as mere hero- worship. However, after a few weeks of studying him out of the corner of her eye as she swept the floor, she realized she was genuinely infatuated with the charming halfling.  
  
His height troubled her not; she herself was less than five feet tall, so hobbits weren't really all THAT much shorter than she was. She even justified his age: 'Well, naturally a young woman would be infatuated with a handsome, older man of the world. Every girl goes through it at some point.'  
  
What she could not reason out in her eminently rational head was how comfortable he made her feel. It was as if they'd known each other for years. When he raised his cup and gave her a quizzical glance, she automatically knew he wanted tea. When she got so nervous she burned the bread the first time she made supper at Bag End, Frodo laughed it off, dried her tears, and told her he was more in a mood for biscuits anyway.  
  
That was another thing: they could make each other laugh, and that was something that seemed to be a rarity for both of them. It...it just wasn't natural that they should be so casual with each other! Her brain screamed against it--and yet, at the same time, it FELT perfectly natural. They'd hit it off well from the first evening she'd worked there.  
  
"So Bella, tell us something about yourself." She could still picture him, leaning back in his favorite chair by the fire. His feet were propped on a stool, and he puffed gently at his pipe as he looked at her curiously.  
  
"Well...I was orphaned when I was five. Da found me crying in a ditch; he took me home to Mum, and I've been there ever since--until today."  
  
"You poor dear! May I ask what happened?" This from Mistress Rose, who seemed to be fond of her already; she had persuaded her husband to hire Bella, as a matter of fact.  
  
"I...I'm not really sure. My father...left, or something; I really don't recall. My memories of him are very faint. Then my mum took sick, and evidently she died; I know she went to sleep one night and never woke up. I could find nothing to eat, so I toddled out the door looking for food. I don't really know how long it was before Da found me...a few days, a month...I hardly recall it at all."  
  
"But how'd you ever get to the ditch?" Master Sam asked.  
  
"Walked, I suppose."  
  
Frodo shot the Gamgees a warning look. "Well, it's amazing that a child so small did such a good job of taking care of herself. Amazing--and fortunate, I must say." He smiled at her, his eyes twinkling. Then, abruptly, he changed the subject. "I had a letter from Strider today."  
  
"Oh really?" Master Sam perked up, Bella's sad childhood forgotten. She smiled gratefully at Frodo, who winked back; she wondered if he sensed the pain in her voice when she spoke. She did not recall much, true, but the ache from what she recalled never really died away.  
  
Later that evening, Frodo had come up behind her and put his hand on her shoulder when she sat stitching by the fire. "I'm sorry about earlier. Sam has a good heart, but sometimes he does not think before he speaks. Rose can be the same; they are a matched set."  
  
"Oh thank you...but it's all right, really."  
  
He shook his head slightly, making the curls at the nape of his neck quiver. "You looked upset. I felt I should put a stop to it."  
  
She smiled at him. "Thank you."  
  
That, ever since, was how it had been. She and Frodo seemed sometimes to read each other's minds. He'd even insisted she call him by his first name, for goodness sake! Really, it made no sense...but she had to admit, she was beginning to like it. 


	4. Fifty-two

Beautiful  
  
--by Egon Starcollector  
  
Disclaimer: LOTR? Not the last I checked. Elijah Wood? Are you kidding? I own my imagination and my computer. That is a potentially dangerous combination. :)  
  
Bella had come to Bag End in early spring; by the time Frodo's birthday rolled around, she was quite one of the family.  
  
Rosie and Bella had schemed for weeks to throw Frodo a surprise birthday party. It had involved a lot of whispering, mysterious errands, hidden letters, and conversations that stopped abruptly when Frodo entered the room (not to mention innocent looks when he demanded, "All right, what's going on?"), but finally everything was set.  
  
Sam played his part in the early morning. "Mister Frodo, I need to ride down to Underhill's to look at some seedlings. Want to ride along? I'm sure they'd love to see you."  
  
"Well...."  
  
"Oh Mister Frodo, why don't you?" Rosie put in. "It's a lovely day, and you don't get out nearly enough lately."  
  
He thought for a moment. "Perhaps you're right, Rosie. Sam, I will come with you."  
  
"Well, best go then." Sam winked at Rosie and Bella as he went out the door behind Frodo. As soon as they were out of sight, the girl and hobbit-woman set to work.  
  
"Okay, that's the last of the decorations. Is the cake ready?"  
  
"Almost, Mistress Rose!"  
  
"Good, the guests will be here any...oh bother, Pippin's early!"  
  
"Then he can help me with the chairs!"  
  
With Pippin put to work arranging furniture, his wife Diamond setting the table, Rosie doing a quick sweep of the doormat, and Bella icing the cake, Bag End was soon ready. And not a moment too soon.  
  
"I heard a rumor about a party?"  
  
"Merry, there you are! Yes, everything's ready; come on in." Merry and his wife entered, followed a few moments later by King Aragorn (who hit his head on the top of the door) and Queen Arwen. Sam and Rosie's children came with their families. Gandalf was the last to arrive. Legolas and Gimli were at sea and could not make it back for the party.  
  
"There they are! Be quiet!"  
  
"After you, Mister Frodo."  
  
"Really, I don't see why he's upset...."  
  
"SURPRISE!!!"  
  
"Aah!" Frodo nearly launched himself straight up through the roof of the hobbit-hole. "What...?"  
  
"Happy fifty-second birthday, Mister Frodo!" Sam clapped his friend heartily on the back, stifling a laugh.  
  
"Why you...? 'You need to get out more!' Oh for...this is wonderful!" Frodo laughed, then settled his face into a broad smile as Bella brought out his cake. He sampled the frosting. "Did you make this, Bella?"  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
"It's simply lovely. I love buttercream." He licked the frosting off his lips. "Well my friends...it appears we have some partying to do!"  
  
Amid loud cheers, Frodo cut the cake. He served a piece to everyone-- including Bella, whom he'd grabbed by the arm when she tried to escape to the kitchen. "Oh no, young lady. I want EVERYONE to eat together, and that includes you!"  
  
Later on, she finally made her way to the kitchen to finish up Frodo's birthday supper. She had the roast in the oven and was fixing a salad when she heard a soft step behind her.  
  
"Do you need some help?" Frodo asked quietly.  
  
"Oh no, Frodo. Thank you, but I'm fine, really I am! I can fix dinner by myself...you just go and enjoy your company."  
  
"But Bella, this is so much work for you...."  
  
"Isn't it my job? And really, holiday feasts are some of my favorite things to prepare." Frodo was right behind her; so close she could feel his breath. 'Concentrate, concentrate....'  
  
"But I want to help."  
  
"Well...all right." She sighed in defeat. How was she ever to keep her mind on her work now? She turned around...and the look in Frodo's eyes made her lose her breath entirely. They were a shade of blue she had never seen before.... He licked his lips suddenly and seemed to be bracing himself for something....  
  
"Hallooo!" Merry's greeting startled both of them.  
  
"Drunk already Merry? You just got here!"  
  
"I'm nah'drunk...well maybe a little...."  
  
"A LITTLE? Meriadoc Brandybuck, how dare you embarrass me like this?"  
  
"But honey...." A weakly protesting Merry soon found himself dragged out of the kitchen by his furious wife, to the great amusement of both Bella and Frodo.  
  
"Um, now...where were we?" Was Frodo blushing?  
  
"Ah...." Bella swallowed, trying to compose herself. "Could you get the pine nuts out of the cupboard?"  
  
Merry staggered into the other room. "Sam-boy, you were right. He was in the kitchen tryin' to get cozy with the Hardbottle girl."  
  
"Isn't it sweet?" Rosie said. "It's so obvious he fancies her."  
  
"Well, why not?" Pippin replied. "She's pretty, she seems sweet, and she makes wonderful cake!"  
  
Frodo could hardly take his eyes off of Bella as they worked side-by- side. She had on her holiday dress: a pretty thing of deep red that was tight-fitting in all the appropriate places. A scarf of soft white lace framed her graceful neck. Her hair was twisted up in a mass of tiny braids and carefully-set curls. His fingers ached to undo the silver hairclip with the red stones and watch her hair tumble around her slim shoulders, onto him....  
  
"Frodo, could you toss the salad please?"  
  
"Certainly!" He blushed, hoping she hadn't noticed that he'd been staring at her with ill-concealed lust for--oh, only ten minutes or so.  
  
But there was one consoling thought: the strange ease that had grown between them had made cooking quite a comfortable bit of business. 'We do work well together,' he thought.  
  
"Frodo...?"  
  
"Yes, Bella?"  
  
"Um, um...happy birthday." She shyly held out a soft package wrapped in brown paper. The paper was torn, and clumsily creased; she blushed to remember how much her fingers had trembled as she tried to wrap Frodo's gift.  
  
"Bella! It's my birthday; you're not supposed to give me anything!"  
  
"I know, but...I wanted to." Her face felt very hot; she couldn't muster the strength in her neck muscles to raise her head and look him in the eye.  
  
He unwrapped the package carefully and let out a faint gasp as he saw the contents. It was a vest made of black silk and carefully stitched with a colorful and intricate design. "This is what you've been making for the last two months?"  
  
"Yes...."  
  
"Bella, it's amazing...you do wonderful work." He pulled it on over his broadcloth shirt. "And it fits perfectly!"  
  
"Mistress Rose helped me figure out your size."  
  
"Bella, thank you...I don't know what to say!"  
  
"You really like it?"  
  
"I love it!" And from the way he was smiling, he did. It looked very good on him, too. The silk flowed smoothly over his sturdy but graceful frame, and the blue she'd picked for part of the design matched his eyes exactly.  
  
"Oh, good!" she squealed, bouncing excitedly. He smiled at her...tenderly? No, it had to be a trick of the firelight.  
  
"I shall wear this with great pride, Bella." 'And imagine I'm in your embrace every time I wear it,' he added silently to himself. 


	5. Fever

Beautiful  
  
--by Egon Starcollector  
  
Disclaimer: look at it this way: if I owned these, I'd be Tolkien. If I were Tolkien, I'd be dead. *checks pulse* Nope, not dead. Ergo, probably not Tolkien. Well okay, that and I'm female....  
  
A/N especially for The Potions Mistress: (Love your work, btw.) I thought about making Bella a hobbit, but Bella's heritage will come into play later, so.... *shrug*  
  
And a thanks to Big Mama for suggesting the fire scene.  
  
  
  
One day in early October, Bella stepped into Frodo's room to open his curtains and found him in the grip of a terrible fever. His skin was ashen and he moaned in obvious pain. Bella shrieked and ran to the living room.  
  
"Master Sam, come quick! Fro--Mister Frodo's ill!"  
  
Sam jumped out of his chair at the sound of Bella's voice. Together, they raced towards Frodo's room--but when they were almost there, Sam suddenly stopped.  
  
"We can't help him."  
  
"Master Sam--!"  
  
"I'd forgotten the day...nineteen years ago today, Mister Frodo was hurt. The sword was cursed, so he never fully healed. Every year on this day, his sickness comes back."  
  
"What? B-but what can we do?" Bella wailed. The tears in her eyes tore at Sam's heart. He knew how much Mister Frodo meant to the girl; Sam knew he was not an intelligent hobbit, but he had eyes. This was going to be almost as hard as watching his master suffer....  
  
"Nothing. We can try to keep him comfortable."  
  
"But surely some herb or something for the pain...."  
  
He shook his head no. "We've tried them all. Even elven medicine can't help him any more than it already has."  
  
Bella's shoulders shook; Sam knew she was trying not to cry. He pulled her down into a fatherly hug. "There, there, little one...I know it's hard. It has been for all of us who care about him. But consider this: by tomorrow, he'll be good as new." Sam knew it was a lie even as he said it. Mister Frodo was not rebounding quite as quickly as he used to. The sickness was getting worse, and by tomorrow Mister Frodo would be simply exhausted. Last year, he'd slept most of the following day.  
  
Sam's shirt was wet now with Bella's tears. The poor girl.... 'And poor Mister Frodo if he knows he's upset her like this.' Sam knew his master was quite as fond of Bella as she was of him. Mister Frodo would feel terrible if he knew his sickness had made her cry.  
  
"Come on now, sweetie...if you want to help Mister Frodo, why don't you get him another blanket? He gets very cold when he's sick like this." Sam spoke in the same soothing voice he'd used with his own children when they were young. Indeed, he was coming to regard Bella much as he did his own girl Elanor.  
  
Bella nodded and mumbled, "Okay," before hurrying to the linen closet. She came back carrying one of the heavy winter blankets and scurried in to spread it over Mister Frodo.  
  
The ailing hobbit tossed uncomfortably in a restless sleep. He whimpered softly; already his curls were dampening with sweat. Bella tucked the extra blanket carefully over him, trying not to bump him and disturb his wound. Tearfully, she smoothed his forehead with her cool hand. Sam thought he saw Mister Frodo's face relax slightly at the young woman's touch. 'Poor things. They need each other more than either one realizes.'  
  
Frodo emerged from his bedroom late in the morning. He did not want to eat, but at Bella's urging he finally consented to drink some tea. Bella's eyes were red as if she'd been crying...over him, he wondered? He felt a stab of guilt at the thought that he might have made those pretty eyes fill with tears.  
  
And yet, why would she weep? He was her employer, nothing more.... The thought made his heart ache even more than his body did.  
  
He soon knew why. When she brought him his tea and smoothed his curls away from his face, the shiver of delight that ran through him at her touch confirmed what he had long suspected: he, Frodo Baggins, was in love with Bella Hardbottle.  
  
Bella spent most of the afternoon crying in the kitchen. Master Sam and Mistress Rose were quite understanding about the whole thing. "Quite a shock...she'll need to get used to it...not that anybody ever really does...."  
  
She went into the living room to check on him as often as she could bear it. The sight of her beloved Frodo suffering nearly ripped her heart right out of her ribcage. She'd have given her life to make him happy--not that he'd have noticed--but she couldn't even make him feel better when he was sick.  
  
He seemed to grow more chilled as the day's shadows grew. By the time the Gamgees went to bed, he was shivering as though he were caked in ice. Bella could stand it no longer. She pulled out a thick blanket, then sat down by the fire holding Frodo in her arms. She wrapped them both in the blanket and prayed she could give him the warmth he needed. She faced the fire, cradling him gently. 'Well...if it is my only chance to hold him, then I will be glad of it.' She gazed down at the curly head that rested on her chest. His beautiful face was so pale.... Tears slid silently down her cheeks as she lay down on the floor. She pulled him carefully down with her and kissed his forehead. 'He really is beautiful....' was her last thought as she drifted off to sleep.  
  
Late in the night, Sam awoke to find it had grown chilly. He got up to check the fire--and found Mister Frodo asleep in front of it, securely wrapped in Bella's arms. 'Awww....' He put a log on the fire, then put another blanket over the tongue-tied lovers and went to bed smiling.  
  
Frodo's first thought when he awoke was how wonderfully comfortable his pillow was. Then he opened his eyes. 'That...is not my pillow.' He blushed when he realized he was stretched out on top of Bella, who was holding him so tightly that he couldn't move. 'Well...waking up to her beautiful face almost makes being sick worthwhile....'  
  
He sighed and shook his head. 'Frodo Baggins, you are in a SERIOUSLY sticky wicket.' 


	6. Hair

Beautiful  
  
--by Egon Starcollector  
  
Disclaimer: Could I just put ditto marks here by this point?  
  
  
  
Autumn soon turned to the deep Shire winter. It was a hard one that year; the snow at times was too deep to open the door of Bag End, and always there was stabbing cold.  
  
The four of them seldom set foot out of doors. Sam and Frodo ventured out rarely to make sure the perennial plants would not freeze, but as a rule they stayed inside where it was warm. Even Merry and Pippin seldom came to call; no one left home except in emergencies.  
  
There was little to do, as a result; the house was too closed up to be exceptionally dirty, and there was no danger of unannounced guests walking in on them. So, they endured the endless days of storms and glaring but icy sun, welcoming meals and every little chore as a break from the monotony.  
  
Bella and Frodo, however, learned to look forward to the long evenings. Sam and Rose often turned in early, leaving the two of them sitting by the fire. Bella tried to do her needlework, while Frodo pretended to read. Occasionally, they would actually accomplish these things. More often than not, however, they would find themselves engaged in conversation long into the night. They talked about the weather, news of the day, anything and everything except the space between them. So, in that space, their love for each other deepened and grew steadily and quietly.  
  
The budding romance was easily visible to anyone at all...except for the two parties most concerned. Nevertheless, their friends had refrained from commenting on it to their faces. Even Pippin had developed an uncharacteristic discretion when it came to his cousin Frodo and the object of Frodo's affections--either that, or Diamond (whom Pippin adored but was deathly afraid of!) had persuaded him to keep mum about it.  
  
One day near the end of winter, Frodo walked past Bella's room and heard a cry of distress:  
  
"Oh, this hair!"  
  
"Problems, Bella?"  
  
"My hair makes me crazy!" She was struggling to run a brush through the thick tresses, which were unbraided and hung--to Frodo's inexplicable delight--nearly to her knees. "There's just so much of it!"  
  
"Um...." Frodo's mouth went suddenly dry. "May I help?" he rasped.  
  
She looked at him strangely. "You...want to brush my hair?"  
  
"I won't pull," he promised with a smile.  
  
She laughed. "All right...better thee than me."  
  
Frodo picked up her brush, which was made of ornately carved cherrywood. He knelt down behind her and carefully untangled the ends of her hair. He watched the pale winter sunlight shimmer on the silver-blond strands, making them look like sunbeams themselves. He fought a sudden urge to wrap himself in the silken locks....  
  
His missing finger made smoothing her hair rather awkward, but he soon fell into a rhythm and gently worked his way upwards. "Wouldn't you like to sit down?" he asked.  
  
"Hmmm...perhaps I should," she sighed dreamily. The tone of her voice made his heart quiver. She sat down in her chair and leaned backwards, letting her hair spill over the back like a sunlit waterfall. He resumed his gentle strokes, careful not to pull as he picked out the tangles.  
  
Bella would have thought she was dreaming if she hadn't been able to feel what was happening. The hobbit she loved was brushing her hair. The slow, gentle stroking lulled her softly into a daydreamy state. Frodo could do this every day if he so chose.  
  
She could feel his soft breath falling lightly on the skin of her arms. He sounded quite as spellbound as she was...no wait, there was a faint raggedness to his breath. Well, there was to hers too when she bothered to listen...after all, Frodo Baggins was actually touching her. 'He must really enjoy brushing hair,' she thought, not daring to entertain the hope of more.  
  
Frodo worked slowly, partly so he wouldn't pull on her scalp and partly to make the moment last as long as he could. Her hair was so soft...and it smelled like lilacs. He saw a bottle of lilac scent-water on her table, so he knew why.... 'I never realized before how much I love the smell of lilacs,' he mused to himself.  
  
He listened to her breathe; she was fairly purring. At that moment, he did not care if she ever loved him the way he loved her. He was making her happy...and for that moment, that was all that mattered.  
  
Too soon, he reached the crown of her head. It was all he could do not to bend down and bestow a soft kiss on the spot. He kept brushing and stroking as long as he dared...but finally, the sweet moment ended. Or so he thought. "Frodo...since you're back there...could you...?" she asked, holding up a hair-ribbon that exactly matched the deep green of her dress.  
  
"Gladly," he said, smiling at her in her mirror. His heart did a merry tumble when she smiled back at him. For a second, he was posessed of the strangest notion: 'I wonder what she would say if I asked her, right here and now, to be my wife?'  
  
He blinked, suprised by his own thoughts. 'Grief, I'm further gone than I realized.' She wouldn't want a hobbit like him...he was older than she was, and she knew how sick his old wound made him. Bother.  
  
And yet, for just a moment, he could pretend.... He could pamper her, just as if she were his bride.... He carefully divided her hair into three sections and brushed them smoother than they already were. He plaited her hair from the nape of her exquisite neck to inches from the end. (He thought he did a rather clumsy job of it, but she was quite pleased with his work when he brought it forward for her approval.) Then he carefully bound it all up in the ribbon and tied it in a bow. "There."  
  
She turned to look. "Wonderful! Thank you so much, Frodo!" She kissed him impetuously on his cheek and hurried off to start her morning chores, leaving the poor hobbit to stand by her bench and stammer.  
  
After that, Frodo found himself increasingly haunted by the smell of lilacs and dreams of Bella's shimmering hair. Many times she was so close he could almost feel her hair in his fingers...but when he reached out to touch her, she melted into nothing and he awoke.  
  
He never imagined she likewise dreamt of the day he brushed her hair.  
  
One morning after one such dream, Bella went to his room to open the curtains. She wished she could have stayed and watched him sleep.... Impulsively, she kissed his brow and tiptoed out of the room.  
  
He woke to the smell of lilac scent-water. He reached out...and as he opened his eyes, his vision of Bella vanished as a reflection does when a stone ripples the water. It was a dream. Another dream. He sighed...and still smelled the lilacs. The curtains were open; that was why she had been here. Nothing more. She had not come for him.  
  
Bella swept the kitchen, trying to keep her mind from returning to that morning. She couldn't believe she'd done something so--foolish! He could've awakened and caught her; he probably would have fired her on the spot! But yet, it had been too great a temptation to resist.... He lay there, asleep and smiling softly. He looked so...beautiful. It was odd to call him beautiful, and yet...with that peaceful smile, he was. He'd whispered something...it sounded like her name. But it couldn't have been...no. It couldn't have been. She fought back tears and swept the floor viciously. 


	7. Surprise

Beautiful  
  
--by Egon Starcollector  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings or anything related to it, nor do I pretend to do so. I own my computer, my imagination, and the characters of Daisy, Posco, and Bella Hardbottle. I also own my temper and my impatience with 1. people who flame stories without bothering to read them and 2. people who think they're better fans than anyone else.  
  
A/N: Thanks to Big Mama who thought this would be sweet and came up with the rough idea for Bella's present.  
  
  
  
"What do you mean, she came here on her birthday? Why didn't she tell us?"  
  
"She said she didn't want us to make a big deal, Mister Frodo," Rosie said with a shrug. "I had to ask her straight out when her birthday was, and even then she didn't want to tell me."  
  
"Well, that explains why she brought us all flowers...." Now Frodo was upset. The first anniversary of the day they'd hired Bella was fast approaching--and now he found out it was her birthday, too! "Rosie, I think I need your help with something...."  
  
"Now Merry, if I send Bella up to your house on an errand, can you keep her busy for a while?"  
  
"I probably can, Frodo; if I can't, I'll let the wife talk her ear off for a while!"  
  
"Good. It'll take her about fifteen minutes to get to your house...can you keep her busy for half an hour? I've another errand for her in the village, but that won't take quite as long. If she stays at your place for half an hour, then twenty-five minutes or so to the village...five minutes or so to run my little errand, ten minutes at the most...then ten minutes home...that should do it.... So can you keep her busy for a bit when she stops?"  
  
"Mmm...probably. What are you planning, cousin?"  
  
"Well, come to find out she came to work for us on her birthday. I'm going to throw her a little party."  
  
"You're starting to sound like a young hobbit again." Frodo shrugged and pretended not to know what Merry meant; Merry hid a smile. If his cousin wanted to pretend he wasn't head over heels for Bella, that was none of Merry's business.  
  
"Pippin, I know what I want to give her...if I describe it, can you sketch it out so I can take it to the shop in the village?"  
  
"I guess so...but what's with this giving people presents on their birthdays? Something new?"  
  
"Well, she gave me one--made me this vest, in fact--so I wanted to do something for her."  
  
"Ahhh...." Pippin didn't let Frodo see the knowing twinkle in his eyes; poor Frodo had no idea how obvious he was being. "Now, what did you have in mind," Pippin asked as he reached for his sketch pad.  
  
The day of Bella's birthday/anniversary came all too quickly. Frodo, Rosie, and Sam all acted as though it were just another day.  
  
After elevenses, Frodo asked Bella if she could be bothered to run a couple of errands for him. "Merry left his jacket here, and I wondered if you could return it to him. Then I have a package waiting at the woodworker's shop in the village."  
  
"All right."  
  
"Just ask for the package for Baggins. I had a new pipe made, special order. He'll probably put wrapping paper on it; he always does for special orders." Frodo shook his head and sighed.  
  
"All right, then; I'll be back as soon as I can." She smiled brightly at Frodo and headed out the door, Merry's jacket--conveniently forgotten by Merry--over her arm. Frodo thought for a moment that it was as if the sun had gone out. But, he had work to do....  
  
Bella walked hurriedly to the village from Mister Merry's. He'd been in such a talkative mood, and now she was running behind. Frodo was sure to be angry with her!  
  
She picked up Frodo's package at the woodcarver's; just as Frodo had said, it was wrapped in shiny paper. She all but ran back to Bag End.  
  
Too late. Frodo was walking down the road towards her. "Bella, where have you been?"  
  
"I'm sorry...Mister Merry was talking to me, and he wouldn't let me leave...." Bella felt like she was going to cry.  
  
"I was worried something had happened; I was just going to look for you." Bella bit her lower lip. "Well, no matter; you're back now. You have my package?"  
  
"Y-yes, sir." She handed him the package with trembling hands; their fingers brushed ever-so-lightly as he took it, and Bella felt a shiver run down her spine.  
  
"Well then, let's go." Bella was miserably mute as they walked to Bag End. Frodo opened the door. "Ladies first."  
  
She ducked and stepped in.... "Surprise!"  
  
"Oh!" She started up, hitting her head on the door frame.  
  
"Bella, are you all right?!?" Frodo demanded, concerned written all over his face.  
  
"I...I think so. What is this?"  
  
"Don't you know the day, dear?" Rosie asked.  
  
Bella blushed. "Well, yes...."  
  
"One year ago today, you came to work at Bag End," Frodo said. "And more importantly, today is your birthday. Bring on the cake!"  
  
Sam brought the cake and sat it between Heather and Hyssop Oxmoor, the twins girls Bella had played with as a child. A few of her other friends sat nearby, seemingly awed to be at Bag End.  
  
After the party, once Bella's friends had hugged her and gone home, she and Frodo found themselves once again seated by the fire.  
  
"I hope you didn't think I was angry with you this afternoon."  
  
"I...I expected you to be."  
  
Frodo smiled softly. "I am sorry. I asked Merry if he could detain you for a bit so we could decorate...and yes, he left his jacket here deliberately."  
  
She chuckled. "I wondered."  
  
"Oh, I almost forgot your present!"  
  
"Frodo, you don't need to...."  
  
"Neither did you. Now hush and open it." To her surprise, he handed her the package she'd picked up that afternoon--only now, it was tagged with her name in Frodo's elegant hand. She gave him a puzzled look. "Okay, I admit it...it isn't a pipe. I AM having a new pipe made, but that won't be ready for at least another week. Now why don't you see what this is?"  
  
She carefully tore off the paper and opened the package. There, on a lambswool cushion, was a large and lovely cherrywood hair comb. It was carved with roses, and in the center of each rose was a tiny crystal. "Oh...it's beautiful! I...I don't know what to say...'thank you' just isn't enough...!"  
  
"But the smile on your face is," he said softly. She looked up at him, her eyes shining--and had the poor dears not been so blinded by their own self-doubts, they both would have seen the love glowing clearly on each other's faces.  
  
Impulsively, Frodo stood up and hugged her; she threw her arms around him, inhaling the good cedar scent of him. He pulled back to see a tear sliding down her cheek; he wiped it away, smiled, and whispered, "Happy Birthday, Bella." 


	8. Market

Beautiful  
  
--by Egon Starcollector  
  
Disclaimer: Honey, I don't even own the LOTR *books;* I grabbed my mom's set.  
  
Summer brought heavy rains to all of Middle-Earth, and for a time Sam worried that the garden would drown. But it did not, and by the middle of the season he was well on his way to the best garden Bag End had seen in years.  
  
One day, Rosie asked a favor of Bella:  
  
"Bella, could you be a dear and run to the market for some things? I would go myself, but I've the laundry to do--and really dear, you're inside too much. A healthy young girl like you should get out in the air more often."  
  
Bella smiled. "I'll gladly go, Mistress Rose; to be honest, I've longed to take a walk since it's so beautiful out today."  
  
"Isn't it, though? Sam and I always used to go walking together on days like this when we were younger. The world is at its prettiest on a day like today when you're young and in love." Rosie blushed faintly. Bella had become every bit as dear to her as her own daughter Elanor, but some days she felt awkward babbling about her youth like this...then again, some days she'd felt the same awkwardness with her daughter.  
  
Bella smiled to hide the ache in her heart. "I'll remember that, Mistress Rose." She was sure it was beautiful to be young and in love--if your love was returned. But there was no way her loved one would ever love her....  
  
"Going to market, Bella?" She started as the subject of her thoughts came up behind her.  
  
"Oh, yes, Frodo...Mistress Rose gave me a list of things. She thought I needed to get out of the house."  
  
"May I join you? I rather fancy a walk myself on a day like today, and that list looks like you'll need an extra pair of hands."  
  
She caught her breath. "Um, certainly...I can carry the packages easily, but I would be glad of company. It makes the trip much more pleasant."  
  
He laughed softly. "I did not mean to suggest you were helpless. Merely indulge an aging hobbit's attempt at chivalry, would you?"  
  
She smiled, a genuine smile at that. Frodo had such a knack for making her feel comfortable. It helped to compensate for the way he made her knees buckle.  
  
She was right; the walk was quite pleasant. Frodo was a charming and amusing companion, and he seemed to be genuinely curious to learn more about her. "You don't remember your real father at all?"  
  
"Not really. Just an...impression, really, of blond hair."  
  
"That explains this," he said, toying with the end of her braid. "Your hair is a remarkable shade...I've heard it whispered that your father was an elf or a half-elf, since only elves have hair like that."  
  
She blushed. "Psht! It is not so spectacular, is it? Violet Chubb has much prettier hair than I...."  
  
He looked at her intently. "Perhaps that is a matter of opinion."  
  
Rather too soon, they were at the market. They wandered the stalls slowly, not rushing to find everything on Rosie's list. They stopped to smell scent-waters from a flower farm and had a good laugh over some new toys from the toy vendor. "Look! Look at this, Bella; the little dog's training his master to dance!"  
  
"Why, however do they get it to move like that?"  
  
Frodo even insisted upon buying them drinks from a punch stand. They stopped to rest on a bench, where they caught their breath and sipped their drinks. Bella tossed her braid out of the way and stretched her back luxuriously. Frodo watched, mesmerised, as the soft spring sun danced in the gilded curls that framed her face and stroked the smooth planes of her cheeks. His heart rose into his throat...why did he have to give his heart to such an innocent angel when she would never be his...?  
  
Bella squeezed her eyes shut, trying to forget how close Frodo was. He seemed to be leaning towards her...his thigh was pressed up against hers. He was so close she could feel his warmth...tears started to burn her eyes. 'No, mustn't cry,' she chided herself. 'But then again, if I did he might take me in his arms.... And what excuse would I give for crying, hm? That I'm so close to the one I love but will never be anything but his housekeeper? No, I don't think that would look very good....'  
  
Eventually, they found they could dawdle no longer. They finished shopping and headed slowly back towards Bag End.  
  
"Frodo, have you always lived in the Shire? I mean, I know I've heard about your fabulous adventures, but are you a Shire boy by birth?" Bella asked as they strolled back from the market. She was glad he'd offered to accompany her; their parcels were really quite heavy.  
  
"Of course I am! I was born not far from Bag End; I moved in there with my uncle after my parents died when I was just a little hobbit. Uncle Bilbo left it to me, and I let Sam and Rosie move in after they married."  
  
"Really...so you've spent almost your whole life here, with your family...."  
  
"Pretty much, yes."  
  
She sighed. "That must be lovely. Do not mistake me; I do love Mum and Da. I remember so little of my life before they took me in...but sometimes, something will come to me. The smell of scent-water or a half- heard refrain of a song...and I can almost see my mum's face. My birth mum, I mean. She had red hair, and I think her eyes were green...." She shook her head, putting the memory away. "I've always wondered what it was like to look at someone and know that they carried your blood in them. I've seen so little of my own kind.... Do you know, I feel strange being called 'the Hardbottle's human fosterling.' I don't really consider myself human at all. I know hobbits and hobbit ways. I've thought of myself as a hobbit for as long as I can clearly remember."  
  
Frodo shifted his package to his other hip and looked at her. His eyes glowed with what she would have sworn was tenderness.... "Hobbit or human, does it really matter? No. What matters is that you are Bella." To her surprise, he reached up and cupped her face in his hand. "That is the important part."  
  
Rosie watched as her master and young Miss Bella came back from the market. She'd hoped Mister Frodo would accompany the girl, and so he had! It was so obvious that they cared deeply for each other--obvious to everyone but them. Mister Frodo really needed a wife, and Rosie couldn't think of a better bride for him than Bella Hardbottle. Bella Baggins...yes, that sounded right. 


	9. Decision

Beautiful  
  
--by Egon Starcollector  
  
Disclaimer: see the rest of the chapters.  
  
Author's note: For Wendy, who wanted Frodo to do The Eyes. Holy crow, Mr. Baggins finally gets brave!  
  
  
  
Frodo walked alone over the hills of the Shire on that clear September day. He was most decidedly in a brown study. He wasn't sure he could stand another year of sickness. Another year of waking up with a fever and not knowing if he'd wake up at all the next day. Perhaps...perhaps it was time for him to go to the Havens.  
  
It was not a thought he relished. Being healed, once and for all, from his wound would mean saying goodbye to everything and everyone he loved.  
  
This hill, for example. When he was a little hobbit, it had been one of his favorite hiding places. As he grew older, it became one of his favorite places to take a walk or read a book. That tree on top made a perfect back rest. It was a little hard for him to climb it anymore, though, so usually he just sat on the ground and leaned against the trunk.  
  
There was Bag End, of course; his family home for generations. The village, the marketplace...even the distant places he'd seen but once or twice. They all seemed to come back to him now, flooding his mind with images and half-remembered scents or sounds.  
  
And what of his people? Of course he would miss his old hobbit friends and their families. And he would miss the few humans he knew, like Strider--no, King Aragorn...the dwarves, like Gimli...so many faces.  
  
As he rounded the corner near Bag End, though, he saw her. Bella. It was strange to think that someone he'd known barely a year and a half should be the one he would miss most.  
  
But she would be. Oh yes, she would be. 'I never thought I would say this, but I believe I've found the love of my life,' he thought. And as fate would have it, he reflected, she was someone who would never, could never love him in return.  
  
He watched her silently for a time; she was putting the laundry out to dry and had not noticed him. He watched the sunlight dancing in her hair, the way she wrinkled her little freckled nose when she concentrated, the graceful way she held her strong arms.... She was so beautiful. He sighed longingly. Bella was everything he had ever wanted in a wife--but he was sure there was no way she would have him.  
  
She looked up at him suddenly. Her soft pink lips--the lips whose kisses he dreamed burning dreams of every night--curved into a smile and she waved at him. He waved and smiled back, then squared his shoulders and began to walk towards her. She might not love him, but he would not leave for the Grey Havens without telling her that he loved her. He had almost said it at supper the other night, but had lost his resolve at the last second.  
  
'Tonight,' he thought. 'I will tell her tonight.'  
  
Oblivious to Frodo's scrutiny, Bella pouted slightly as she wrestled the clothes onto the line. This would have been easier had she been able to concentrate, but she couldn't. Not after the other night.  
  
Master Sam and Mistress Rose had gone to visit one of their children. Bella had just been considering what she should make for supper when Frodo had suddenly come up behind her. "Bella, I want to make supper for you tonight."  
  
"What? Oh Frodo, there's no need...it's my job, after all."  
  
"But Bella, you do so much for us...you deserve a night's rest."  
  
"Oh, nonsense!"  
  
"Please? I want to do it." Then he'd gazed at her with such a puppy- dog-like expression that she'd nearly melted onto the rug. How could she say no?  
  
Frodo proved to be a wonderful cook, and the two of them had shared a very pleasant meal. The conversation had flowed freely, and they had seemed more like longtime companions than an employer and employee. And then Frodo had offered a toast: "To Bella Hardbottle, the finest housekeeper--and fairest woman--in all of Middle-Earth."  
  
"Frodo!" she giggled. "I think you're drunk."  
  
"Only on your laughter." He smiled at her, and her insides turned to cranberry jelly. What was the matter with him? The look in his eyes....  
  
"Um, I think we should clear the table; I think I just heard the Gamgees."  
  
"Oh! Yes, of course."  
  
It had been a false alarm--but for the first time either of them could remember, Frodo and Bella had (very briefly, fortunately) actually felt uncomfortable around each other.  
  
Just at that moment, Bella looked up to see Frodo watching her. She smiled and waved; he smiled and waved back. The awkwardness was gone. But the look in his eyes was not....  
  
He walked up to her. "Bella, would you care to go for a walk with me this evening?" 


	10. Confessions

Beautiful  
  
--by Egon Starcollector  
  
Disclaimer: Let's see...I don't own LOTR, Frodo Baggins, Sam and Rose Gamgee, Elijah Wood (darn), Sean Astin, or the moon. I own Bella and her folks, though.  
  
*thinks* Wait, I have a man...I guess it's a good thing I don't own Elijah Wood as I wouldn't know what to do with two of them!  
  
A/N: Yep, the chapter everyone's been waiting for!  
  
  
  
"Frodo, why did you want to take a walk so late? If it weren't for the moon, we wouldn't be able to see a thing!"  
  
"Well, it was partly because of the moon. I needed to talk to you, and the full moon seemed to say this was the perfect night." He stopped walking and tangled his fingers in his hair. Bella, sensing they weren't going to be walking for a while, dropped to the grass and looked up at Frodo. "This may sound strange.... Bella...it seems safe to say that Sam and Rose regard you as family, and you feel the same way. Right?"  
  
"Well...yes, I guess so...."  
  
"But would it upset you if I said I don't see you as family?" Bella felt sick. Had he brought her out here to tell her he thought she was being too familiar with the Gamgees? "I don't see you as just a housekeeper, either." What?  
  
He dropped down beside her; sitting down, they were almost the same height. His eyes stared into her eyes...into her heart...her mind...her spirit.... "Bella...I'm in love with you."  
  
"F-frodo, I...."  
  
"Hear me out! I have been thinking of leaving for the Grey Havens. My sickness is getting worse...you saw how the last attack was. I didn't want to leave without telling you how I feel...how I've felt for so long.... I know you can't possibly love an aging, sickly hobbit like me, but...."  
  
"Frodo, don't...."  
  
"Bella, I'm sorry, I...."  
  
"Frodo, listen to me!" She clasped both of his hands with her left one and caressed his cheek with her right. She slowly slid her hand up and tangled her fingers in his curls. "Frodo, I knew I loved you the moment I met you."  
  
He pulled her to him and kissed her devouringly. Her lips seemed to melt under his. When her left hand slid up his arm and around his neck, it left a trail of fire. They broke apart, briefly, then fairly lept into each other's arms for another kiss.  
  
She was intoxicating. No woman had ever made Frodo feel like this. He thought if they got any closer he would burn alive, but at the same time he couldn't get close enough to her.  
  
They finally came up for air. A silent question in his eyes...a silent answer in hers. "Sam and Rose should be asleep by now." They stood up and walked hand-in-hand back to Bag End.  
  
"Frodo, I've never...."  
  
"Then I'll be gentle," he said and silenced her with a kiss.  
  
They let go of each other briefly while he checked the fire. Then he turned to her and held out his hand. She slipped her hand into his, and he led her quietly to his bedroom.  
  
"'Know this," Bella heard as she drifted off to sleep. "Wherever our lives may lead us, Bella Hardbottle, remember that Frodo Baggins will always love you."  
  
  
  
Sam awoke as the sun's rays hit him in the eyes. "Well, time for breakfast."  
  
"Sam, I think we should wait. No one else is up yet."  
  
He blinked. "But isn't it your turn to cook breakfast anyway? And Mister Frodo's always the last one up...."  
  
"Sam...I woke up in the middle of the night and heard...noises."  
  
"A prowler? And you didn't wake me?" He looked at her, puzzled.  
  
"Not a prowler. Sam...I...I don't think Mister Frodo slept alone last night." Her eyes twinkled faintly as she said it.  
  
Realization spread across Sam's features. "Ahhh.... It's about time. But, you're right...can't let them know we know. Rosie, I need a cuddle...why don't you oblige me with one while we wait for Mister Frodo and Bella-girl to wake up and pretend nothing happened?"  
  
Frodo awoke to the smell of lilac scent-water. He reached out...and his hand found something soft and warm. He opened his eyes to see Bella, still lost in her dreams. He smiled tenderly at her. If anything, he thought she was even more beautiful than she had been yesterday. Her long hair was loose from its braid, and the silken mass had spread its weight over both Bella and Frodo. He lifted a strand to his cheek and inhaled the soft lilac scent.  
  
"Good morning," she murmured.  
  
"Good morning, love." He kissed the strand of hair he held, then let it fall slowly down his skin. "Sleep well?"  
  
She blushed. "Yes."  
  
He kissed her softly. "I love you."  
  
"I love you, too."  
  
"We should probably get up, shouldn't we?"  
  
"Yes...can't have them find me here."  
  
"What of it? I'm not ashamed that I'm in love with you."  
  
"My mother would kill both of us."  
  
"Oh." 


	11. Plans

Beautiful  
  
--by Egon Starcollector  
  
Disclaimer: the way my week's gone, I'm even questioning whether I own Bella! ;)  
  
Author's Note: My Quenya is VERY weak (I really should take that online course), so I may not be entirely accurate when Frodo breaks into Quenya later in this chapter.  
  
  
  
The change in Frodo was dramatic. His step had a lightness not seen in years, and he sometimes whistled a happy tune as he strolled over the hills.  
  
Bella, for her part, changed little, but her whole being now seemed to be lit from within by the glow of a woman who knows she is loved.  
  
They were openly affectionate now; Frodo would never let her leave his sight without asking for the kisses she so-gladly gave. Bella had developed a habit of standing by Frodo's chair and playing with his curls. Their friends were unsure as to whether this was a good or a bad thing.  
  
"I give up!" Merry declared to Rosie one day. "They frustrate the whole of the Shire by pining after each other for a year and a half, and now they're making us all sick as if we'd missed second breakfast!"  
  
"Now Merry, I remember how you and Estella were at first. Sam and I were the same way--"  
  
"Still are," snorted Merry.  
  
"But Mister Frodo's finally happy! Isn't that the important part? You should be glad your cousin's found someone as good as Bella."  
  
"I'll be glad when they quit spoiling my appetite!"  
  
Shortly before Frodo's birthday, Rosie announced that she was going to spend an evening with Elanor and her family. Frodo therefore arranged to give Bella the night off to visit her parents so that he and Sam could have Merry and Pippin over. "It'll be just like we were young hobbits again!" Sam declared.  
  
"That," Rosie whispered to Bella, "Is exactly what I'm afraid of."  
  
On the appointed evening, Merry arrived just as Rosie was going out the door. Literally; they smacked right into each other. Merry apologized profusely and bowed her on her way; he was, when the occasion demanded it, the most proper of gentlehobbits.  
  
"Merry! You're just in time. Bella's almost finished setting out dinner." As he spoke, Bella put the last of the dishes on the table and took off her apron. "Going now, love?"  
  
"I am. Thank you."  
  
"My pleasure; you need to spend time with your family, and I need to spend time with my friends. Kiss?" he asked, giving her his famous puppydog eyes again.  
  
"Of course!"  
  
"Inye iirecce, Bella."  
  
"You take great comfort in my housekeeping?" This from a very confused Bella.  
  
Frodo chuckled, "Well, that too. I have to admit, I was 'showing off,' as the young hobbits say. 'Inye iirecce,' well...that's how an elf says 'I love you.'"  
  
"Oh, you...! I love you, too!" She kissed him warmly, then grabbed her cloak and set out.  
  
"She's a lovely girl, cousin Frodo."  
  
"That she is, Merry. That she is."  
  
"What will she do when you go the the Havens?"  
  
"Oh, but I'm not going!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"I've changed my mind. When Pippin gets here, I can explain...that should be him now." Frodo crossed the room and answered the knock at the door. "Do you have it, Pip?"  
  
"Yes, yes I do. Sorry I'm a bit late; Diamond had me moving furniture."  
  
"Again? That's the third time this season you've rearranged!" Merry cried.  
  
"Do me a favor. Don't remind my back."  
  
After the four hobbits had done justice to Bella's excellent dinner, they sat around quietly smoking their pipes. Merry at last broke the silence. "Now what was it you were going to explain once Pippin got here?"  
  
"Probably this," Pippin said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a folded paper. He passed it to Frodo, who opened it up and looked at it.  
  
"Yes, that's it exactly. Pippin, you've outdone yourself." He passed it over so Merry and Sam could see it. Sketched on the piece of paper was a silver ring with a flower embossed in the top. In the center of the flower sat a tiny crystal.  
  
"It's very pretty, Mister Frodo, but what's it for?"  
  
"Sam! I think our Frodo's going to pop the question!"  
  
"What question?"  
  
"You know! THE question! The one you asked Rosie all those years ago."  
  
Sam looked at him blankly. "'Have you seen my horse?'" Merry put his face in his hands and sighed.  
  
Frodo chuckled. "Sam, I'm going to ask Bella to be my wife."  
  
Sam lit up. "Why Mister Frodo, that's wonderful! I knew you two would be perfect together. This is the best news I've heard since Rosie told me our Elanor was coming along!" He grabbed his master into a hug, nearly choking the poor hobbit unconscious in his joy.  
  
When Frodo recovered, he explained that he was taking the sketch to the jeweler's shop in the village the next day. "It should be ready by the end of the month. Then I'll just have to find the perfect time to ask her."  
  
"As soon as possible?" put in a smiling Pippin.  
  
"I thought that was a given," Frodo smiled in response. He chuckled pensively. "I always thought I'd marry a sweet hobbit lass. Lily Proudfoot, perhaps; I quite fancied her as a tweenager. Then after the War, I gave up on ever marrying. Who would have dreamed I'd marry a human-- with the heart of a hobbit?" 


	12. Question

Beautiful  
  
--by Egon Starcollector  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my migraine. *le sigh*  
  
  
  
The ring, in fact, was ready the morning of Frodo's birthday. He said he needed to go to the village "on an errand." Sam and Rosie were quite aware of what the errand was, so they hid their excited smiles behind their hands. Bella was merely glad they would have a chance to decorate Bag End for the party.  
  
She walked Frodo down the road a bit, at his request. "Bella, would you go for a walk with me after I return? There was something I wanted to ask you about...."  
  
"Um, certainly."  
  
"Meet me here, then, and we'll go up to the hill."  
  
"All right." Bella grew nervous. Now what? This wasn't what was supposed to happen at all! She hurried back inside, a concerned look on her face. "Frodo wants me to take a walk with him right after he gets back from the village."  
  
"Oh that's fine, sweetie," Rosie reassured her. "We'll finish up, and it'll give the guests more time to get here."  
  
"If you're sure...."  
  
"Of course!" She winked at Sam behind Bella's back; the Gamgees knew all along that Frodo was planning exactly what he'd just asked.  
  
"Bella, I see Mister Frodo coming!"  
  
"All right, Master Sam!" She ducked out the door and ran down the road to meet her love.  
  
"Ready, my dear?" Frodo asked.  
  
"I think so," she said as he took her hand.  
  
They spoke of many things as they walked up to the hill. The harvest that year, the forthcoming holidays, the neighbors.... At last, they reached the top and sat down under Frodo's tree. They kissed and leaned against each other.  
  
"Bella?" Frodo spoke at last.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"You know that I love you...."  
  
"And I love you."  
  
He reached down and clasped her left hand. "I had long thought that I would always be alone. But now...I never wish to be alone again." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring. "Marry me Bella."  
  
Bella's mouth dropped open in shock. She couldn't believe what she was hearing! Frodo of the Nine Walkers wanted her to be his wife? "YES!" She shrieked, throwing her arms around his neck.  
  
He kissed her and managed to slide the ring onto her finger. "That was what I wanted to ask you. For my birthday...I wanted to give you my life."  
  
"Frodo...." she began, tears sliding down her cheeks.  
  
He kissed her tears away. "I love you, Bella Hardbottle--and I shall but love you more when your name is Bella Baggins."  
  
By the time they returned to Bag End, all of the guests were there for the party. Frodo was appropriately startled, but at last he regained his composure enough to take Gandalf aside. "Can you stay a few more days? I...I'm getting married, and I would like you to perform the ceremony."  
  
"At last. I had planned to stay a bit, in fact; when were you planning upon marrying?"  
  
"As soon as possible. Would three days from now be too soon?"  
  
Gandalf shook his head no. "I would be honored to perform your wedding, Frodo Baggins."  
  
Frodo then stood before the guests and cleared his throat. "My friends, I have an announcement. Bella Hardbottle has done me the honor of consenting to become my wife."  
  
The guests all cheered; Frodo noted that none of them seemed terribly surprised. "I suppose you know you are all invited; the wedding is to be held three days from now."  
  
"Good thing hobbit weddings are simple," King Aragorn muttered.  
  
Bella stepped up to Frodo. "I'll need to go over to my parents' tomorrow and invite them."  
  
"I was just about to suggest it. And don't forget your friends; this is your wedding too, remember." He smiled tenderly at her, and she bent down and kissed him. 


	13. Wedding

Beautiful  
  
--by Egon Starcollector  
  
Disclaimer: I think all I own here are the Hardbottles.... Peony Foxburr...belongs to herself. *wink*  
  
Author's note: Thanks to Trivia for helping me write the vows and Wendy for telling me that story about the Amish.  
  
Three days later, Frodo found himself pacing nervously around Bag End. "Is all the food ready?"  
  
"Yes, Mister Frodo."  
  
"The decorations?"  
  
"Yes, Mister Frodo."  
  
"The crowns?"  
  
"Finished 'em this morning, Mister Frodo."  
  
"The guests are arriving?"  
  
"Yes, Mister Frodo."  
  
"Gandalf is ready?"  
  
"Yes, Mister Frodo."  
  
"What about--?"  
  
"YES, Mister Frodo!" Sam and Rosie exclaimed in unison. They couldn't wait for their friend to be a married hobbit--if for no other reason than he was beginning to make them a little crazy. For the past three days, he'd been fussing endlessly about every detail. The Gamgees understood that he wanted his wedding day to be perfect, but really...! Even his betrothed, Bella, had become impatient with him. "Darling, we aren't gods. We can't ensure nothing will go wrong."  
  
"Bella, I want our special day to be the best, most perfect wedding the Shire has ever seen!"  
  
"And it will be sweetheart, as long as we're marrying each other. Isn't that the important part?"  
  
He'd smiled sheepishly and received a kiss as a reward--only to start worrying about the cake not ten minutes later. Needless to say, Bella was relieved when the time came to go to her parents' house; she was receiving a traditional hobbit send-off from her adoptive father, so she would have to walk with him from their farm to Bag End.  
  
For Rosie and Sam, there was to be no such reprieve. They were only too glad that the ceremony was now just moments away.  
  
At last, all the guests were assembled on the hill under Frodo's tree. Pippin came down to ascertain that yes, everyone was there--even the noted painter Peony Foxburr of Loamsdown, who'd been commissioned to do Frodo and Bella's wedding portrait.  
  
"Well Mister Frodo, it's time."  
  
"I guess it is, isn't it? Sam?"  
  
"Yes, Mister Frodo?"  
  
Frodo clapped his old friend on the shoulder. "I'm glad you're with me."  
  
The three of them set out behind Pippin, Frodo walking between Sam and Rosie. They soon reached the hill and stood before Gandalf. Frodo wore his best clothes, including the vest Bella had made him. Her wedding ring was in the pocket of his trousers--and soon, he thought with a smile, it would be on her slender finger.  
  
He looked down the hill--and there stood Posco Hardbottle, with Bella holding awkwardly to his arm. Frodo thought she had never looked more beautiful. She wore her red holiday dress, and her hair was loose except for the comb Frodo had given her.  
  
As Merry's sons began to sing, Posco and Bella slowly climbed the hill. At last, she was standing next to Frodo. Sam stood to Frodo's right; Rosie to Bella's left. Gandalf cleared his throat and began to speak:  
  
"Love is a curious creature. It strikes when we least expect it, sometimes finding the most unimaginable person as its object. But love, when it is true, always serves to make two halves into one whole. That is why we are gathered here today, my friends. Frodo Baggins, what is your intention today?"  
  
"To take Bella Hardbottle as my wife, from today until my dying day."  
  
"And Bella Hardbottle, what is your intention today?"  
  
"To take Frodo Baggins as my husband, from today until my dying day."  
  
"Do you make these vows of your own will, Frodo?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"And Bella?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Now...kneel and face each other." They knelt, and Rosie and Sam came forward with the crowns. The crowns were wreaths, really; leafy twigs for Frodo as the protection and strength of a hobbit home, and flowering vines for Bella as the softness and nurturing. The Gamgees had woven the crowns that morning of plants that were still growing to ensure fertility. They gently placed the crowns on Frodo and Bella's heads.  
  
"Bella, I pledge myself to you until the taste of food no longer tempts my tongue, until the light of the hearthfire no longer calls my footsteps home, and until Nimrodel no longer flows. This do I promise you."  
  
"Frodo, I pledge myself to you until the taste of food no longer tempts my tongue, until the light of the hearthfire no longer calls my footsteps home, and until Nimrodel no longer flows. This do I promise you."  
  
"Frodo and Bella, you have come here of your own will and sworn that you will love and serve each other forever. So be it."  
  
"My friends, you have witnessed their vows. These two are husband and wife now and forever. Go in peace."  
  
They kissed and rose to their feet amid much cheering. Merry came up behind them, leading Josef the Pony (son of Bill). Frodo climbed onto the pony's back and Bella climbed up behind, wrapping her arms around his waist. Frodo gently turned Josef towards Bride's Lane, the tree-lined path hobbits traditionally used to close the ceremony. "Geeyah!"  
  
At Frodo's command, the pony leapt into a gallop. Bella gasped and squeezed her husband tightly. "Relax love, I know how to handle a pony."  
  
"You'd better!" Frodo flashed her a dazzling smile and winked at her as they galloped down the path.  
  
This was perfect, Frodo thought. A lovely sunny day, a soft breeze dancing through his curls, and his wife--his beautiful, sweet wife--holding him tightly as they rode through the woods. The sun filtered through the leaves, making the world swirl in emerald and gold.  
  
The stream was coming up; almost time to jump. "Ready?"  
  
"I...I think so."  
  
"For good luck, remember!" he smiled at her again. He leaned forward as they neared the stream and felt Bella's arms tighten around him. Almost there....  
  
"Hyah!" Josef's muscles tensed, and suddenly they were airborne. They sailed across the stream, and Josef's front hooves touched down on the other side. But.... "Aah!" Frodo cried out and Bella shrieked as the pony's back hooves slipped in the mud. But it was just a moment's skid; Josef soon righted himself and pulled them up onto dry ground.  
  
Frodo pulled Josef to a stop, and then turned to face Bella. In a few minutes, they would have to return to the party...the food...the dancing. But for now, he wanted to steal just a moment.... He caressed her cheek, gazing at her adoringly.  
  
"I love you, Frodo Baggins," she said with a radiant smile.  
  
"I love you too, Bella...Baggins," he said, as he leaned in and kissed her. 


	14. Sickness

Beautiful  
  
--by Egon Starcollector  
  
Disclaimer: Nope, don't find LOTR in my inventory of "things I own."  
  
Bella Baggins, a bride of less than two weeks, rose early to fix supper for her husband Frodo and their dear friends Sam and Rose Gamgee. It was instinctive; Bella had been their housekeeper far longer than she had been Frodo's wife.  
  
At once, she knew something was wrong. Frodo was burning hot, and his face was pale and ashen in the morning light. "Oh no...." The sickness was back.  
  
She felt her heart freeze with fear. She remembered last year...how he'd suffered all day while she and the Gamgees had watched helplessly, unable to ease him. Quietly, sadly, she tucked an extra blanket over her sleeping spouse and kissed his lips gently, knowing it was going to be a long and terrible day.  
  
The house was eerily quiet all day, save for Frodo's soft moans of agony. Bella and the Gamgees all seemed to be holding their breath, tiptoeing through the rooms so as not to disturb the tormented hobbit.  
  
They breathed a little more easily come nightfall. Frodo had still refused even tea the few times he'd awakened, but the day would soon be over and he would be free for another year.  
  
But they were not to be so fortunate.  
  
The next morning, Bella was horrified to find that Frodo was no better. She pulled on her dressing-gown, ran down the hall, and pounded on Sam and Rosie's bedroom door. "Master Sam! Mistress Rose! Please, come quickly!"  
  
"What? What is it?" Sam asked, poking his head out.  
  
"Frodo...the fever still has him!"  
  
"What?" Sam raced across the hobbit-hole, a look of sheer terror on his face. "Mister Frodo! Mister Frodo! Wake up!" he yelled, shaking his master violently.  
  
But Frodo would not awaken.  
  
Rose shrieked when she saw Frodo's pale, perspiration-coated face. He'd never, ever been sick for two days before, not since he'd first been hurt!  
  
Sam ran back into the bedroom he and Rose shared and emerged moments later fully dressed. "Rose and Bella, you stay here and watch Mister Frodo. I'm going to go get Merry and Pippin--and Gandalf, if anyone knows where he is!" With that, he ran out the door.  
  
The women shared their vigil for two excruciating hours while they waited for Sam's return. Frodo tossed and thrashed, sometimes crying out in his sleep. He awoke once, saw his wife, murmured, "Bella...." and then drifted back into an uneasy slumber.  
  
The door of Bag End burst open. Sam, Merry, and Pippin nearly fell into the front room. "How is he?"  
  
"No change," Rose said softly. "He awoke for just a moment, then fell back to sleep." She sat beside Bella, rubbing the younger woman's back. Bella sobbed loudly, clutching her husband's left hand--the hand that bore his wedding ring on his middle finger, since he'd lost his ring finger to Gollum.  
  
"Gandalf will be here shortly," Sam announced as he, Merry, and Pippin all brought in chairs and sat down near the bed. The wizard was as good as his word, for not ten minutes later he came through the front door.  
  
Sam patted the stunned Merry and Pippin on their shoulders, then went out to meet Gandalf. "We hate to disturb you, but...."  
  
"I understand, Samwise. He has never been this sick before...."  
  
"No indeed, sir."  
  
Gandalf examined Frodo quickly, then led the other hobbit men out into the other room. "I can do nothing. I fear the years of sickness have taken their toll."  
  
"Bella thinks it's her fault," Pippin said. "She thinks that, erm...marriage...has been too rough on him," he finished, blushing faintly.  
  
"It is not her fault; I'm sure that had nothing to do with it. Indeed, it seems to me that Bella has been quite good for him."  
  
Merry at last forced himself to ask what they were all thinking. "Is...is cousin Frodo going to die?"  
  
Gandalf looked at the bedroom door for a long time before answering. "I don't know. I sincerely hope not...but I really do not know the answer to that question."  
  
It was very late at night. The unhappy six who kept vigil over Frodo Baggins had eaten a simple supper of sandwiches and ale, which none of them had really had appetite for or tasted. Merry paced the floor restlessly. Pippin dozed lightly in his chair. Sam miserably fought to stay awake. Rose wept softly. Gandalf gazed mutely at the bed. Bella clutched her husband's hand tightly, her red-rimmed eyes never leaving his face. Frodo lay still on the bed, his breathing quiet and even the shivering nearly gone.  
  
Bella was the first to see it. His eyelids twitched...then suddenly, his beautiful blue eyes fluttered open. "Darling? What's the matter?" he asked with concern, trying to sit up.  
  
It was as if something had exploded in Bag End. Merry spun around so fast he lost his balance and fell to the floor. Gandalf lept from his chair. Pippin started awake and cried out at his cousin's voice. Sam started and nearly toppled over. Rose let out a gasp. Bella squealed and threw her arms around Frodo. Frodo hugged her, blinking confusedly. "What happened?"  
  
"Mister Frodo, we thought we'd lost you!"  
  
"It's a miracle!"  
  
"Cousin Frodo's alive!"  
  
"He's awake! He's awake!"  
  
"Frodo...you've been sick for two days. You have not been this ill since you were first injured."  
  
"No wonder I'm so tired...." 


	15. Weakness

Beautiful  
  
--by Egon Starcollector  
  
Disclaimer: Nope, don't own Frodo and co. I do own Bella, though.  
  
Frodo and Bella had fallen into the habit of taking slow walks through the countryside to help Frodo grow strong again. Bella worried that he would overexert himself. He was still pale (though it had been two weeks since his illness), and she thought she saw a little more gray in his hair.  
  
"Sweetheart, why don't we stop to rest here?"  
  
"But Bella, I'm fine, really...."  
  
"Frodo, I don't want you to overexert yourself." He gave in, and soon they were seated under Frodo's favorite tree, snuggled in each other's arms.  
  
"It is a beautiful day."  
  
"Yes it is...the trees are going to be quite pretty this year, I think."  
  
"Not as pretty as you." He kissed her softly and smiled at her.  
  
"Oh, listen to you!" She tickled his ribs and made him yelp.  
  
"I was only telling the truth!" He silenced her retort with a warm kiss. "You are lovely." Kiss. "Very lovely." Kiss. "And I adore you." He started kissing her neck.  
  
"I love you too...Frodo, what are you doing?" she asked as he tugged her dress off her shoulder.  
  
"This," he answered, kissing his way from her neck to her shoulder and back again. "And this," he continued, kissing the base of her throat.  
  
"Now Frodo...you know what that does...."  
  
"Why do you think I'm doing it?" he said, smiling impishly.  
  
"Frodo Baggins! Here?"  
  
"Why not? This tree saw some of my happiest memories when I was a child and a tweenager...it was where we confessed our love for each other...it was where I proposed...even where we married. Why shouldn't it witness this?"  
  
"But someone could see us!"  
  
"Are you suggesting we charge admission?"  
  
"Frodo!" she laughed, smacking him alongside the head and making him yelp.  
  
"Really darling, I hope someone DOES see us. I want all of Middle- Earth to know that Frodo Baggins is madly in love with his wife," he declared as he busied himself with her other shoulder.  
  
"And know not to invite us to parties where children are present...Frodo...oh my...."  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"Can you imagine how it would look, us coupling in the grass like randy young lovers?"  
  
"Well...I'm randy, you're young, and the last I checked we were in love."  
  
"Oh you--! You're incorrigible!"  
  
"Absolutely."  
  
Much later, the Bagginses made their way back to Bag End. Sam looked up from the root vegetables to wave at them. He noted Bella's rosy cheeks and the twinkle in Mister Frodo's eyes. Nah...they wouldn't....  
  
Bella watched her adored husband over the next few weeks. He smiled and said he felt fine, that nothing was wrong. Yet he was still pale, and sometimes he almost seemed too weak to stand.  
  
"I think he's trying to be brave for me," she confided to Mistress Rose one night.  
  
"He loves you, dear. He doesn't want you to worry."  
  
"Doesn't he know it worries me more this way?"  
  
The hobbit-woman shook her head. "Men are like that. They don't want their women to fret over their health, and they sure don't want their women to think they can't provide for them. Sam's the same way when he's sick."  
  
"And does it worry you?"  
  
"More than I'll ever let Samwise Gamgee know."  
  
By early November, Frodo was no better. He acted as if he were the healthiest hobbit alive, but all could see he was not.  
  
Bella wrestled with her heart and her conscience for long hours before she reached her decision. It would be the most painful thing she would ever do...but do it she must, for his dear sake.  
  
"Frodo?" she said to him one night as they sat alone in their room.  
  
"Yes dear?"  
  
"I think...." she choked back her tears so she could speak. "I think it is time for you to go to the Grey Havens."  
  
Author's Note: Okay, we're reaching the part I've dreaded writing. *sigh* And as for earlier...I thought I was going to have to throw cold water on those two! This isn't the Playhobbit Channel! 


	16. Tragedy

Beautiful  
  
--by Egon Starcollector  
  
Disclaimer: Don't blame me, blame Tolkien.  
  
"You...what?" Frodo stared at his wife in shock and confusion.  
  
"Frodo...I know you are trying to be brave...but I can see how hard it is on you. You can only be healed in Valinor."  
  
He was silent for a moment; when he spoke, his voice was flat and sharp as a knife blade. "You want me to leave."  
  
"No. I want you to heal." Bella began to weep passionately. "It hurts me so to see you suffer...it may kill me to say goodbye, but I could not live with myself knowing my selfishness prolonged your pain." She doubled over on the bed and rested her head on Frodo's leg. "I love you so much, Frodo...." Then her voice broke, and she wept too hard to say more.  
  
"I...." Frodo tangled his fingers in his wife's silver-blonde hair. He could not stand to see her cry. He did not think he could live without her.... "I can't abandon you. It would be un-hobbitly of me." A single tear slid down his face. "I love you, Bella."  
  
"You would not be abandoning me. I asked you to go."  
  
"But are you sure?"  
  
She looked up into his bright blue eyes for a long time before she answered. Her voice was so soft he had to strain to hear her. "Only for your sake. For mine, I would not have you go."  
  
"Then I will not."  
  
"Frodo!" She sprang up and pulled him tightly to her. "I nearly watched you die...I know you are only trying to be strong for me...."  
  
That was true. Frodo had not wanted her to think that she was in any way responsible for his sickness. He had held it in as best he could. He should have known how sharp are a wife's eyes.  
  
"If I go...IF I go...then do you want me to release you from our marriage vows so that you may find another husband?"  
  
She looked blankly at him. "Why would I bid you do what my heart will never do? You are my only love."  
  
"I have tried...so hard...to be a good husband to you, Bella...."  
  
"You are a wonderful husband. I could never ask for better."  
  
He squeezed her waist gently. "Curse this scar...Sauron could not kill me, but he can still separate me from my only happiness."  
  
"If only love could heal it...then my love for you would surely be strong enough to make you whole again...."  
  
"Bella, do not...the only time I forget the scar is there is when you kiss it...."  
  
Wordlessly, Bella unfastened his shirt and put her lips to the scar. He drew in his breath sharply, then pulled her face up so he could kiss her lips as he undid her gown. They moved slowly, memorizing each other's kisses...faces...touch...and tears.... They both wept openly, for they knew in their hearts this would be one of the last times they were together in this way.  
  
Sam and Rose fought back tears as they helped Frodo pack his bags. It hurt them to see him leave almost as much as it hurt Frodo and Bella to be parted.  
  
They spoke in whispers when Frodo could not hear. "It's judgement, Sam...judgement for what they did before he was rightly married to her!"  
  
"I know Rosie...I know." Sam pulled his wife into his arms and buried his face in her hair. "Something always goes wrong for Mister Frodo...."  
  
Bella and Frodo made love for the last time the morning before he left. Afterwards, he held her tightly in his arms for as long as he could...but at last, it was time to go.  
  
Sam and Rose walked them to meet the boat. Merry and Pippin were already there with their wives, both of whom were sobbing loudly.  
  
Silent tears slid down Bella's cheeks as she helped her husband load his bags into the boat that would take him to the Grey Havens. Was it too late, she wondered, to ask him to stay? She looked at his beautiful, tired face--eyes red from his own tears--and knew she could never ask him. He needed to heal...if she loved him, could she deny him that?  
  
No.  
  
He came over to her. She knelt in front of him and he pulled her into a hug. They kissed for a long time; when they broke apart, she saw that he had begun to cry again. They stared at each other for a long time, memorizing every little detail....  
  
"I love you, Bella."  
  
"I love you too, Frodo."  
  
  
  
Some two weeks after Mister Frodo left, Rosie found Bella kneeling on the floor of her room--Mister Frodo's old room, and they room they'd shared as husband and wife--having clearly been sick into the chamber pot.  
  
"Are you all right, Bella dear?"  
  
"I...I think so, Mistress Rose. My stomach is just upset."  
  
"That is four mornings in a row."  
  
Bella started to cry. She looked at Rosie and said simply, "I miss Frodo."  
  
"We all do, dear...but I imagine you would most of all." She hugged the young woman, then pulled back suddenly. She looked at Bella sharply. "Bella...have your clothes become a bit tighter?"  
  
"A little...but, I have been eating more. I suppose because I am sad."  
  
"Bella...I know this is very personal, but have you had your....?" She leaned forward and whispered the rest of the question into Bella's ear.  
  
Bella thought for a moment. "Why, no...but it has always behaved strangely when I am upset," she said, blushing.  
  
Rosie looked at her intently. "Bella...I think it is something more."  
  
"Whatever do you mean?"  
  
Rosie pulled Bella into another hug, then held her at arm's length and looked her in the eye. "Bella dear...I think you're going to be a mother."  
  
And Bella fainted. 


	17. Epilogue

Beautiful  
  
--by Egon Starcollector  
  
Disclaimer: Own it? Honey, I'm not even British!  
  
Author's note: Thanks for sticking with me. Acknowledgements are at the end.  
  
Epilogue  
  
Rose's prediction was indeed correct. As winter passed over the Shire, Bella's stomach grew unmistakably round.  
  
"It's a good thing, isn't it Rosie? We'll still have a part of Mister Frodo here."  
  
"It'd be better if he were here to help her raise it." Rose Gamgee was not given to profanity, but when she was alone she silently cursed the Dark Lord Sauron with every foul term she knew.  
  
"But it's not like she'll be raising it alone. Yes the baby should have a father, especially if it's a boy, but she'll still have us. Our kids, Merry and Pippin, everyone wants to help. And Posco and Daisy are thrilled that Frodo Baggins' only child will be their grandchild."  
  
"Samwise Gamgee, I'd have had to hit you if you'd even thought of sending her away."  
  
"Not for a second! It'd be like sending Elanor away."  
  
So it was that Bella agreed to remain at Bag End and raise the child there. As Sam said, most of the Shire seemed to want to help the woman many regarded as Frodo's widow ("But he's in the Undying Lands! He can't die!" Pippin declared in confusion).  
  
On an unseasonably hot morning in mid-June, Bella's pains came. By early afternoon, she held Frodo's daughter in her arms. The child was the image of her father, with a few fine brown curls and eyes that looked far bluer than the normal blue of any baby. Bella named her baby Freda, and when Freda grew up she....  
  
Ah...but that is her story to tell....  
  
TO BE CONTINUED  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Author's Note: I can't believe it's done! :) Now for some thank-yous.  
  
First of all, God.  
  
Second, my betas Big Mama, Ghostdreaming Angel, and Nanyan Shikaze. Thanks for helping me maintain my usual level of insanity. ;)  
  
Animagus-Steph, for having the patience to give each and every chapter one of your thoughtful reviews.  
  
Elizabeth Wyeth, for reviewing and for drawing the picture of Frodo and Bella.  
  
JELLO-OF-THE-SHIRE, Rowlena, Halacanno, and The Potions Mistress: Thanks for encouraging me to keep going!  
  
Thanks, in fact, to everyone else who reviewed (except for that one creep who flamed me). You can't imagine how you've made my days brighter.  
  
And some recommended reading, if you like things in this vein:  
  
"Fool," by The Potions Mistress. Sweet, well-written, and far too underrated. :(  
  
'The Fourth Passage' by Elizabeth Wyeth.  
  
'I'll Be Here When You Wake' by Animagus-Steph (not LOTR--Harry Potter, in fact--but a great read).  
  
And anything by Mainecoon (great poetry) or E.C.R. Potter. 


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